• Floors: vacuum carpets, mop hard floors, wipe baseboards. Dust on baseboards reads as neglect.
• Bathrooms: scrub grout lines, polish faucets, replace towels with fresh hotel-style whites. Hide every personal item.
• Kitchen: clear all counters except 1–2 staged items. Empty the dish rack. Wipe inside of microwave (buyers open it).
• Mirrors and glass: streaks are the #1 cleanliness signal buyers notice.
• Lights on: every interior light, every lamp. Open every blind. Dark = small.
• Smell test: air out 30 min before opening. Skip plug-in air fresheners — they signal cover-up. Plain coffee or bake-shop scents are safe.

Common mistake: half-cleaning. Buyers are looking for reasons to lower an offer; visible dirt gives them three.

• Lock or remove: jewellery, watches, prescription medication (theft target #1), passports, loose cash, laptops, small electronics, firearms (legal storage required).
• Hide personal documents: tax returns, bank statements, ID — identity-theft window.
• Take children’s photos off the fridge — strangers shouldn’t have your child’s face or school.
• Pets out of the house entirely. Even friendly pets stress buyers.
• Cameras on, signage up: indoor cameras must be disclosed (Ontario two-party consent for audio); post a visible “Premises Under Video Surveillance” notice at the entrance.
• Lock master bedroom closet for items you can’t move.

• Recommended path: Foyer → main floor (kitchen + great room) → primary bedroom → secondary bedrooms + baths → basement → backyard.
• Open every interior door including closets and pantry. Closed doors trigger “what are they hiding?”
• Block off zones you don’t want walked: locked utility room is fine. Half-closed doors look weird.
• Music: low-volume instrumental, never pop or news. Should be background, not entertainment.
• Temperature: 21–22°C in winter, 20°C in summer. Buyers leave too-hot or too-cold houses fast.
• Refreshments: water bottles + simple cookies. Avoid messy food. Keep host area clean.

• Open House sign at curb (large arrow), 2–3 directional signs at nearby intersections.
• Time on every sign (e.g. “Open Sun 2–4pm”) so passers-by who arrive late don’t ring.
• Sign-in sheet at door: name, email, phone, agent. PIPEDA-compliant — collect only what you use, tell visitors how data will be used (lead follow-up). Many buyers sign with fake info; that’s their right.
• Feature sheet: one page with floor plan, MLS highlights, neighbourhood data, asking price, contact info. Aim for 30 copies; running out signals popularity but frustrates latecomers.
• SPIS, if used, available for review at the table (not handed out).

Why: 1) Buyers feel watched and shorten their visit; 2) Casual seller comments can break your negotiation leverage (“we have to sell by July”); 3) RECO multiple representation rules get complicated.

Host briefing for your listing agent:
• Pre-approved talking points: HVAC age, roof age, school zone, recent renovations.
• Pre-approved off-limits topics: motivation to sell, price negotiability, life events.
• Listing strategy reminder: how to handle pre-offer questions, when to invite written offers.
• Showing duration cap if needed (some lingerers take 45 min — host should redirect).

Walk through this with your agent the next morning:
• Traffic count: <15 visitors = under-marketed or over-priced; 15–30 = healthy; 30+ in 2 hrs = strong interest.
• Buyer agent visits: agent walk-throughs (without buyers) often signal buyer agents scoping for clients next week.
• Repeat visitors: the same buyer returning is the #1 leading indicator of an offer.
• Verbal feedback: categorize as Price / Layout / Condition / Location. If 3+ visitors mention the same item, treat it as a market signal.
• No-offer week after open house: consider a price adjustment, additional staging, or revised photos before week 4.